Cat and Wolf
by undertheclouds
Summary: "The best love is the kind that awakens the soul; that makes us reach for more, that plants the fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. That's what I hope to give you forever." Sam Uley x UC
1. Chapter 1

_Delaney curled her fingers around the ruffles of her brick red dress as she walked towards the sound of the pumping music and the bright, multi-colored lights. The dress fit her curves perfectly and even she could admit to herself that she looked absolutely beautiful. She saw her classmates laughing and meandering over to the school's gymnasium. She was at prom._

"Delaney... "

 _She ran a finger through her soft, curled locks as she reached the entrance of the dance. "Laney!" A friend yelled, enveloping her into a tight embrace. "We've been waiting for you. Let's go!" He reeked of alcohol, but so did Delaney. The two drunkenly stumbled into the dance, gripping each other tightly._

"Delaney?"

 _One of her favorite songs blared through the speakers and the pair ran to the dance floor. Delaney kicked her heels off and started dancing crazily with her friend, letting the alcohol take control over her body. She started losing all inhibitions; as the music grew louder, she grew wilder._

"Laney!"

Delaney jolted awake at the sound of the voice and a gentle nudging. Her eyes shot open in panic and fear dripped through her veins as she looked around wildly, not recognizing her surroundings.

"Laney girl, wake up. We are about to land," a warm voice next to her whispered, putting an arm around her protectively. Delaney nodded, closing her eyes once again, uncomfortable with the unfamiliar surroundings. She tried to will her racing heart to relax and she slowly remembered where she was, where she was going, and why she was going there.

Delaney Rose Swan was on a plane to Sea-Tac AIrport in Washington state to start a new life with her father. Well, perhaps new life was a little overdramatic, but that's exactly what it felt like. A new life. A new state. A fresh start. A clean slate.

The recycled air in the old plane cabin felt suffocating to the girl and she gripped her arm rests tightly, causing a white tint to creep onto her knuckles. She could faintly hear the flight attendant's muffled voices over the intercom but she couldn't listen. Delaney would have rather walked the 2,500 miles it took from her previous home in Ohio to her new home in Forks, but her Dad shot that down. _Delaney, we both know my shoes already have holes in them. A few thousand miles isn't going to help._

"Laney, we are going to be fine," he said, tightening his grip around his daughter's shoulders. "Trust me, I'm a cop."

She couldn't help but to allow a grin to spread across her face. "If I had a dollar for every time I've hear you say that, we _both_ could have flown first class," she said chuckling, glancing at her father.

They locked eyes as he laughed. Jonathan Swan radiated warmth and kindness when you spoke with him and Delaney absolutely adored him. He had never led an easy life, and although he was getting older with gray peppering his dark hair and lines etched in his forehead, he never lost the boyish playfulness in his chocolate brown eyes and his overall love for life.

She could feel the plane descending and the pressure in her ears began to build. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably. Her father had always said that if your ears were about to pop that yawning would release some of the pressure. She opened her mouth and tried to yawn, but that only seemed to make it worse. She made a mental note to curse her dad and (many) his wives tale remedies.

The plane suddenly jolted and hit the ground hard, causing Delaney to yelp. She put both hands on the seat in front of her as the aircraft rapidly was slowing down. Once the plane was coasting, she sighed audibly in relief.

"You did good, kid. I know how hard flying is for ya'," her dad said, unbuckling his seatbelt.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the flight attendant interrupted over the intercom. "Please remain seated and keep your seatbelts securely fastened until the plane reaches a complete stop." Her dad smiled apologetically, quietly buckling the metal seat belt back together. "The local time is 4:51PM on April 1st. And no, this is not an April Fool's joke."

Delaney forgot that it was April Fools day and she almost laughed at the irony of something so serious and solemn happening on a day that is supposed to be lighthearted and mischievous.

"The local weather is rainy and potentially stormy and it's currently 55 degrees fahrenheit," the flight attendant continued. As if on cue, a boom of thunder rang through the sky, shaking the plane. "Make that currently storming."

 _Storms._ Something else that Delaney feared. For the first 10 years of her life, her parents hadn't had hardly any money, so they lived in a mobile home with a tin roof. Even if the rain was sprinkling, it sounded like hundreds of machine guns rocketing at the roof.

The passengers slowly started to file off of the place and into the airport. Delaney followed her father closely, itching to officially be back on solid ground. She made a promise to herself that she would never fly again unless it was a life or death situation. She didn't think she could make it otherwise.

Thunder continued to roll in the distance and she couldn't help but to shiver. She absolutely hated that it was storming; the first day of a new start shouldn't be storming and it sure as hell shouldn't be April Fool's Day.

"It's time little bear," her dad said as they walked out of the threshold of the walkway and into the airport. Delaney always resented time. It always moved too fast when she pleaded for life to slow down, or moved so lethargically when she yearned for the pain to be over quickly.

She followed her father closely through the airport, winding through through the other passengers. They followed the signs to the baggage claim, pushing against the other passengers, like salmon swimming upstream. Finally reaching the baggage, Delaney and her dad stood in silent exhaustion while she people watched.

She first spotted a young couple holding backpacks. The girl, a twenty something, stood in peaceful bliss with her head on her partner's chest. Her eyes closed and a small grin creeped over her lips as he wrapped a comforting arm around her small frame. He kissed her forehead and gently rested his head against hers.

Then, her eyes drifted to what looked like a small family. A beautiful mother held a small child close to her chest, and the father raced around trying to catch a toddler. The amount of love radiated from the both of them was completely overwhelming and Delaney felt her heart clench. But before she could dwell on the sight, her father interrupted her thoughts.

"Here we go," he said, grabbing their checked luggage. "Let's get out of here. I'm sure Charlie's outside."

They walked out of the airport together and she breathed in the cool washington air. She spotted a police cruiser and smiled seeing a familiar face.

"Hey little brother. Long time no see!" Her dad said, walking over to his brother and giving him a quick hug. They were only a few years apart in age and had always been very close growing up. When her father married and moved to Ohio, the only saw each other a few times during holidays and funerals. Delaney could tell the two brothers were incredibly happy to see each other, even under the less than ideal circumstances.

Charlie turned to face Delaney and smiled. "And here is little bear," he said, also giving her a quick hug. She groaned at her childhood nickname.

"Little bear is never going to die, is it?" Delaney said, returning the hug. Charlie grabbed their luggage and tossed it into the trunk of the police cruiser.

"Absolutely not," he said with a smile, slamming the trunk. "Hop in. I know it looks like you're being arrested, but just ignore that."

She glanced back at the airport and noticed that more than a few faces were watching the trio closely with concerned glances. "Dad, do you want to push my head down for effect?"

Jonathan laughed loudly, shaking his head. The two got into the car, closely followed by Charlie. He turned the key in the ignition and the police cruiser roared to life. The ride was silent as he pulled on the the expressway.

"Sorry Bella couldn't come," he said, glancing at Delaney in the rearview mirror. "She, uh, broke her leg."

Laney raised her eyebrows. "How did she manage to do that?"

Charlie paused. "She fell out of a window."

"No way!"

"That's what I said," he grumbled under his breath. She could tell there was a story there, but she didn't press it. She figured she would get more information from Bella.

"So," her dad interrupted, changing the subject. "How are things at the station?"

"Not too good, to be honest. The whole town is glad you're here."

"Swan brothers, back in action!" Her dad said, punching his brother in the shoulder.

"Hey, not when I'm driving," he said grumpily, but Delaney could still see a smile on her uncle's face.

Delaney rested her face on the cool glass window and watched the scenery as they drove through the winding roads of Washington. She tried to block out the conversation her dad and uncle were having; she didn't want to be reminded of the terrible reason that they moved across the country.

Like his little brother, Jonathan was a police officer (he liked to think Charlie followed in his footsteps). Waylon Forge, a Forks deputy, was murdered a few weeks ago by an unidentified animal, and Forks has been mourning and on edge ever since. Charlie had called his brother to tell him the news and offhandedly said that he wished he lived closer. Jonathan said if he was offering him a job, he'd take it. One week later, Delaney was uprooted from her life in southern Ohio and was about to start a new life in Washington.

"Here we are!" Charlie said a little too cheerfully, which Delaney knew was for her sake. Although Charlie didn't like to hover and wasn't very emotional, he had always been great at reading people, even when she was a child. The police cruiser pulled into a gravel driveway in front of an old, gray house. She couldn't help but think that the color of the house matched everything else in this town: gray. Dull. Sad. "Just a few houses down from me and Bells."

"Thanks, brother," Jonathan said, getting out of the police cruiser, Delaney following behind him. Charlie popped the trunk and grabbed their luggage for them.

"What time is the moving truck getting here tomorrow?" Charlie asked, carrying their luggage to the porch.

"Should be here around 10 in the morning or so," Jonathan said, stretching his arms above his head, stiff from the long journey.

"Good deal. I'm sure you remember Billy Black?"

Jonathan nodded. "Of course I do. He came to me and Liz's wedding. He's a good guy."

"Sure is. I let him know that you were moving back here so he'll be over tomorrow. He's also going to bring his kid, Jacob, to help unload the U-Haul, so it shouldn't take too much time with an extra set of hands."

Delaney could almost see the anxiety that was radiating from her father dissipate. Jonathan patted his older brother on the back. "I appreciate that."

"I need to go check on Bella. I'll see you guys tomorrow," Charlie said, walking back to his police cruiser.

"Is Bella going to come over tomorrow?" Delaney asked. Although she didn't know her cousin very well, she always liked Bella, and it would make her feel more comfortable knowing someone going into a new school.

Charlie nodded. "She won't be much use with her leg in a cast, but it will be good for her to get out of the house. Have a good night."

Jonathan turned to look at his daughter and gave her a warm smile. "You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," she responded and he put the key into the lock. He opened the door and fumbled for the light switch.

"I could have sworn there was a light switch here... A-ha!" He said, and the house was lit into life.

"It's not much," her dad said apologetically, closing the door behind them. With nothing in the home, his words echoed emptily around the living room space.

"Dad," Delaney smiled, dropping her bag on the ground and looking around the empty space. "It's absolutely perfect." And it was. There was something so refreshing to feel like you were starting over and Delaney didn't want to waste this opportunity to leave everything negative in Ohio and start fresh in Washington with her father.

"I love you kiddo," he said, grateful that his only child genuinely loved their new home. "I'm excited to start living again."

"Me too, Dad. Me too."


	2. Chapter 2

_Thud… thud…... thud!_

Delaney awoke the next morning to banging echoing around her empty room. She rolled over on the uncomfortable air mattress and clamped a pillow over ears to to try to drown out the noises that were coming from down stairs.

 _Boom!_

"Ugh," she said, tossing the pillow aside in frustration. She knew her attempts to go back to sleep were futile, and she hesitantly opened up her eyes. Light bounced in from her window, emphasizing how empty her room was. _Empty. Why is my room empty?_ She thought as her eyes adjusted to her new surroundings.

"Oh shit," she gasped, grabbing for her phone. She pressed the power button and looked at the time. _10:51 AM._ _I should have been awake almost three hours ago._

She quickly changed into the old pair of leggings and one of her father's crew neck sweatshirts that she laid out the night before. Pulling her hair into a ponytail and throwing on her glasses, she ran downstairs. When she reached the landing, she was shocked to see that a majority of the living room furniture was already delivered and assembled. She was even more surprised to see her cousin Bella sitting on the couch, a cast on her leg.

"What _happened_ to you, Bells?"

Her cousin looked up at her from her position on the couch, and she smiled sheepishly. "It's nice to see you too, Laney."

Delaney walked over to Bella and gave her a quick hug. "I've missed you too. But I have to know what happened."

"Let's not waste time with formalities then," Bella said, shifting herself to face her cousin. Although physically older, Bella still looked almost exactly the same as she did when she saw her last year. She pulled her brown back into an effortlessly messy ponytail and rested her head on her hand.

Delaney could tell that Bella was stalling. She raised her eyebrows, waiting for her to explain how she broke her leg. Bella sighed, defeated. "I fell through a window."

Laney couldn't help but to laugh out loud. "There's no way!" She yelled incredulously. She knew Bella was clumsy, but she didn't think she could be that clumsy. "How the hell did you fall through a window? Where was this window? Did you find the biggest possible window in Forks?"

Bella threw her arms up in surrender. "Okay, okay, I'll explain. I was.. I was trying to go back to Phoenix. So my boyfriend and his dad -"

"Hold on," Delaney interrupted excitedly. "Boyfriend?"

Bella's cheeks flushed red. "Yes. You'll have to meet Edward when he picks me up this afternoon. He's looking forward to meeting you," Bella smiled.

"Oh, so you've been gossiping about me again?" Delaney asked, amused.

Bella grinned. "Well, I haven't seen you in years, so I couldn't help but gossip. Besides, you know me. Forks gossip queen."

The two girls laughed together and Delaney was surprised with how at ease she felt. Delaney and Bella were very much alike as they were both fairly introverted. Even when they would play as children, they were more content with just _being_ together than playing games.

"Are you going to start school this Monday?" Bella asked, breaking their silence and changing the subject. Delaney sighed in response.

"Yeah. I think so. I'm not really looking forward to it, to be honest," she said, laying down on the couch next to Bella. "And you're not getting off easy. You're going to tell me the rest of the story eventually."

Bella nodded in understanding. "I know, I know. Trust me. But I have a decent group of friends that are pretty nice and I sit with Edward and his family during lunch. Let me know what your class before lunch is and we'll walk to lunch together."

"You're the best. Seriously," Delaney said, and she meant it. Bella was very observant and could tell that Delaney was feeling extremely anxious about starting a new school towards the end of the year.

"I remember what it was like to have everyone gawking at you. Besides, what are cousins for?"

Delaney had a shrewd suspicion that her arrival wouldn't be quite as momentous as Bella's. Bella was effortlessly beautiful; she had long, wavy brown hair and and beautiful chocolate brown eyes. She never wore any makeup and her thin stature was lithe and graceful (even though she was clumsy). But one of her downfalls was that she didn't realize the effect she had on people. People were drawn to her.

"Hey, sleeping beauty!" Delaney's dad bellowed, making the two girls jump. He placed the box he was carrying in the kitchen and walked back out to the living room. Wiping his brow with his sleeve, he leaned against the door frame.

"Dad!" Delaney yelled back, but couldn't hide her smile. She threw a pillow in retaliation, which hit him in the chest.

"Oh," he said in mock anguish, grabbing his chest. "You got me!"

"Why did you let me sleep in?" Delaney mused.

"I knew you had a long day yesterday. What's another few hours? And besides, me and Charlie got a lot of work done without you slowing us down."

"Very funny, Dad."

"Billy and Jacob Black should be coming by in about a half hour and that should help quite a bit," he said. Hearing the gravel crunching in the driveway, Delaney's Dad looked out the window. "Bella, I think your boyfriend is back to pick you up," Jonathan said, walking over to her and helping her up. "Now remember, if he ever gives you any trouble, you know you have two giant police officers that would defend your honor…"

"Uncle J," Bella said, shaking her head. "You're just as bad as Charlie. Delaney, come with me so Edward can meet you."

The two girls walked out of the home and stood on the porch. A silver Volvo sat in their driveway, and when the driver saw the two girls exit the house, he opened up his door. A tall, copper-haired boy got out of the car. His golden eyes were striking even from a distance and Delaney knew why Bella was head over heals for him. He was easily the most handsome person she had ever seen in her entire life.

"Hello Delaney," Edward said, nodding at her. He glided over the Bella and wrapped a protective arm around her waist. "It's nice to finally meet you. Bella has been talking about you coming for weeks."

She looked at Edward curiously. With the way he spoke and how he strung his words together, he sounded like he was from a different century.

"It's nice to meet you as well," Delaney said. _Do you have any brothers?_

As if reading her mind, Edward continued, "Bella sits with us at school during lunch. You'll have to join us and meet my family."

"That would be nice. I appreciate it," Laney said nervously, kicking herself for looking like a slob next to someone who looked like a literal model.

"I don't mean to steal Bella away…" Edward started, but Delaney interrupted him.

"Steal away," she dismissed awkwardly, and Edward chuckled, leading Bella to his car. "She's not much help with the whole unpacking situation."

"Can I come come over tomorrow?" Bella asked before getting into the car.

"It might be better if I come over to your house, all things considered…" Delaney said, gesturing to Bella's leg.

"That's probably a good call. See you tomorrow."

Edward honked the horn as they sped away and Delaney gave them a quick wave.

Delaney started taking boxes from the U-Haul truck to her room. She felt a pain in her chest with every box that she opened, reminding her of her old life back in Ohio. It was a very strange feeling to see all of her possessions away from the place that held them for years and into a new room. After unpacking a few boxes, Delaney ran back downstairs to grab another box. When she reached their front door, she heard her father talking to someone. Walking out on the porch she saw a large, old truck in the driveway and an older man in a wheelchair.

"Dad," she said, grabbing his attention.

"Come here, Laney! I have someone for you to meet!" He said excitedly, gesturing for her to run over to them.

"You might have been too young to remember, but this is Billy Black," her dad said, patting the shoulder of the man in the wheelchair. His skin was weathered and his black hair was worn long and covered with a dark tan hat. His eyes were so dark they were almost black, but a bright smile rested on his face.

Delaney returned the smile. "Of course I remember you! I have _you_ to blame for the nickname 'little bear.'" When she was very little, her parents would spend Christmas eve with Billy and Sarah Black and a few other families from the reservation that she couldn't remember anymore. As a child, Delaney was very chubby with dark brown hair that stood straight up on it's ends, like a bear cub's fur. One Christmas Eve, Delaney crawled away from her mother's grasp towards the bright lights of the Christmas tree and started (well, tried) to climb it. She was saved by the protective hands of her father, but not before Billy could call her "Little Bear."

"Try to keep your paws off of the Christmas tree this year, little bear," Billy laughed, steering himself to over towards the moving truck. She could hear a few voices yelling around in the back and boxes clanging together. Billy pounded the side of the truck with his fist. "Jake!"

A tall boy jumped out of the back of the truck a few moments later, and Delaney was struck by how attractive he was. _There must be something in the Forks water. How are there so many attractive guys in one place?_ He had russet skin, and long black hair held together in a pony tale. His russet skin was tanned from the sun and his high cheekbones were prominent against his boyish face. Delaney instinctively pulled on her sweatshirt, wishing she looked a little more put together. _He's kind of beautiful._

"This is my son, Jacob," Jacob smile politely and gave Delaney a small wave. "His friends, Quil and Embry and rummaging around in there as well."

Jacob waved at her and a brilliant smile was etched across his face. "Hey!"

Delaney waved back shyly, inwardly kicking herself for being so awkward, but the rest of the morning went by quickly, and even painlessly, despite the moving. After a few hours, Jacob, Quil, and Embry had all of Delaney's room unpacked.

"You have a lot of stuff," Quil sighed, exhausted. He fell to her bed and sprawled out.

"Gross! Get your sweaty body off my bed!" She laughed, trying to pull Quil off of her bed.

"I thought girls liked sweaty bodies in bed?" Quil said, raising his eyebrows.

"Alright!" Jacob said, giving him a high-five.

"You guys are annoying. Get out of here," she chuckled, gently pushing them towards the door. "I think we might actually be done!"

The group went downstairs and the boys ran outside. All of the boxes were in their new home and surprisingly enough, only a few weren't unpacked. Delaney and her Dad didn't bring much from Ohio, choosing to sell a lot of their old belongings, so every remaining item was meaningful and important.

It felt so nice to feel apart of a family again. Her mother's family lived in Ohio, but when she lost her mom, she felt her family drifting away from her and her father. Sitting with Bella was comfortable, and she was so excited to be close to her family again.

She stood in the doorway and watched her father sitting with Billy on a couch that had yet to make it's way inside, roaring with laughter. She smiled, resting her head against the old door frame; she hasn't seen her father this happy in years. A few yards away, she watched Jacob, Quil, and Embry tossing around a football that they found in the U-Haul truck.

"Delaney!" Jacob yelled. "Think fast!"

Jacob threw the football through the air towards Delaney. Her father used to play catch with her when she was a little girl, so she caught the football with ease. However, the laces of the football stung the palms; Jacob was much stronger than he looked (and he already looked _very_ strong).

"Nice catch, _little bear_ ," Jacob laughed.

"Don't call me that!" Delaney yelled back, throwing the football as hard as she could. Jacob and his friends laughed wildly, and Quil caught the football easily. She ran over to the boys and joined their game of catch.

Maybe Forks wouldn't be so bad after all.


	3. Chapter 3

"You ready for school little bear?"

Delaney sat on her bed and pulled on her bulky rain boots, preparing for the inevitable, almost perpetual drizzle outside. She sighed deeply as she stood up with the unfamiliar boots on her feet, feeling like a toddler trying on her parents shoes. "Almost!" She yelled back to her father. Her long, dark brown hair was wavy from a restless night's sleep and the dark circles under her eyes shown darkly, even under her makeup. She bit her lip, unsatisfied with the reflection.

"I'm going to have to give you a police escort if you don't hurry up!" Her father yelled up the stairs. Laney's stomach gave a nervous jolt as she realized she can't stop the inevitable. "Bella's here!"

She grabbed her backpack and started down the stairs. "Sorry dad," she said, grabbing her jacket. "I didn't sleep well last night so it took a minute to get up." She walked towards the door, but her father stopped her, gently grabbing her arm.

"Hold up there, little bear," he said, placing his hands firmly on her shoulders. His light green eyes were filled with worry. "You okay?"

She shrugged and tried to give him a small smile. "I'm fine, dad. It's just the first day of school jitters."

He didn't seem completely satisfied with her explanation, but nodded and enveloped her into a quick hug anyway. "We will talk when you get home, okay? And text me if Bella's boyfriend is a crazy driver. I don't want -"

"Bye dad!" she said quickly, not wanting to catch the lecture that she felt was coming. Living with a police officer, lectures came rapidly and often. She threw the hood of her rain jacket over her head as she walked into the drizzling Washington Monday. A clunky, seemingly ancient red truck sat in their driveway and she almost laughed out loud at how out of place this car looked, surrounded by the lush foliage and gray sky. It felt like a dark bruise on porcelain skin.

Delaney made eye contact with Edward who gave a small wave. She walked to the truck, opened the door, and slid in to sit next to Bella.

"Good morning Delaney," Edward said warmly as she put on her seatbelt. He was also wearing a rain jacket, but Delaney could tell that it was tailored, even though he was sitting. She was still alarmed at how distractingly attractive he was. She shrewdly wondered how Bella could even focus around him.

"'Morning Edward, Bella. Call me Laney, by the way," she said, putting on her seatbelt. "Delaney is a bit of a mouthful." Clicking the lock into place, she locked eyes with Edward in the rearview mirror. He didn't break his gaze with her and she could tell that he was studying her.

"Did you sleep well?" He asked politely, breaking their silence. He turned the key in the ignition and the truck roared into life, startling her with how loud it was.

"You look exhausted, Laney," Bella said, turning around to look at her, her face hinting at concern.

"I didn't sleep well, no. Just nervous about school, I guess. Let's get going so I can get today over with, yeah?" She said lightly, shrugging off their concern. "Is this your car, Edward?"

He chuckled. "Absolutely not; This is Bella's. I will be leaving early from school today so I want to make sure that Bella has her truck at school."

"Just a quick warning - Edward drives fast," Bella said apologetically. Delaney raised her eyebrows at Edward as he shifted into reverse.

As Edward pulled out of her driveway and started to drive down the road, Delaney thought cooly that Bella had never been more right than in that exact moment. She closed her eyes as she felt the car almost flying over the road. _Maybe I should text dad… he_ did _say he wanted to know about Edward's driving…_

Almost as soon as she finished her thought, Edward slowed down to a more reasonable speed. Delaney opened her eyes and saw Bella staring at him, confused. It was like she has never experienced him driving less than 90 miles per hour and she was taken aback. Edward kept his eyes on the road as he placed a hand protectively on Bella's knee as if to say _we will talk about this later._

A few moments passed and they pulled into the school's parking lot. Edward parked near the front of the school, right next to a large red jeep. Laney's eyes widened at the jeep, admiring it.

"I love that car," Delaney said, hopping out of Bella's truck. Edward was next to her in an instant, helping Bella out of the truck, a smile on his lips.

"That's my brother, Emmett's car. He'll be ecstatic to hear that you like it."

The trio walked together into the school, Edward's arm held tightly around Bella. Delaney held on tightly to the straps of her backpack as she walked with them, eyes burning in to her. It truly felt like they were animals at a zoo.

She felt as if her new classmates had never seen a new student before, as they gaped at her rudely. She was shiny - a new toy. She knew that Forks wasn't necessarily a popular destination, but she thought that the students would at least have the decency not to stare so obviously.

"What class do you have first, Laney?" Edward said, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Good question," she responded, pulling her backpack off and rummaging through the front pocket. The school had mailed her schedule to her and it was waiting in their mailbox when they arrived over the weekend. "I have English with Mr. Mason."

"That's my first class too," Bella said with a comforting smile, and Laney sighed in relief.

"Thank God," she responded. With everything that had happened over the last few months to her family, she was grateful that she didn't have to spend her first moment at her new school alone.

"I'm off to Calculus," Edward said, kissing Bella on her forehead. "I'll see you two at lunch."

"Let's go," Bella said, starting to walk down the hall. The cast on her leg slowed her down, and with Bella's clumsiness, Delaney was amused.

"Slow down there, speed racer," Laney laughed. "If you walk any slower, we might actually start going backwards."

"Ha, ha, ha. You're so funny," Bella said sarcastically, but she couldn't help laughing. "I forgot how much I missed you, little cousin."

" _Little_ cousin? Please. You are barely two weeks older than me. And I'm like, half a foot taller than you."

"Details, little bear," Bells grinned. Delaney shuddered at the nickname.

"Please, _please_ don't let that nickname be a thing here."

Laney's morning sped by with the usual fanfare of being a new student. _Stand up and tell us a little about yourself! Welcome to Forks - I'm sure you'll love it here. If you have any questions, let me know!_ She met up with her cousin before lunch; Bella and Delaney walked to the cafeteria together, struggling to weave in and out of the high school students cluttering the hallway. She could feel dozens of eyes on the pair of them as they maneuvered their way through the hallways. Biting her lip, she picked up her pace, trying to avoid the conspicuous glares of her classmates.

"Why are all these people staring at us?" Delaney asked Bella, wrapping her sweatshirt tightly around her body. "It's like we are at the circus."

"It's a small town. Anyone new is a big deal," Bella said simply, opening up the lunch room door. "And they aren't staring at me; I'm old news. They are staring at _you._ "

Delaney scoffed. " _Sure_ , Bella." Delaney knew that she was wrong - she never fit in at school. She was always on the taller side, with broad shoulders and a muscular frame. Delaney's father sometimes called her sturdy, which she hated with a passion. She always envied Bella's lithe physique; she was so tiny and thin, she almost looked fragile.

"This way," she said, turning toward the back of the cafeteria. "And yes, they are staring at you… just for the record."

Delaney rolled her eyes and followed her cousin through the cafeteria, actively trying to push her thoughts to the back of her mind. Bella stopped at an empty table and motioned for her cousin to sit down next to her. Laney raised her eyebrow. "So… Edward's siblings. Do we like them?"

Bella took in a deep breath. "For the most part," she said slowly, meaningfully. Delaney furrowed her brow and tried to read her.

"So...We like some of them?"

Before Bella could answer, she saw Edward walking towards them with what Delaney assumed were his siblings behind him. Their facial features were extremely different; neither one of them looked like one another. _There is no way in hell that any of them are related,_ she thought. But they all had the same pale skin tone and honey gold eyes. In fact, they were the most beautiful people Delaney had ever seen. No words could adequately describe them; in short, they were perfect.

"Hello Bella, Delaney," Edward smiled, his teeth sparkling white. "Delaney, I'd like you to meet my adoptive siblings."

 _Adoptive. There we go,_ she thought as she glanced around his siblings. _That makes more sense._

"This is Alice," he said, gesturing to the small, pixie-like girl sitting on his right. She gave Laney a large smile, revealing perfect, blindly white teeth.

"I'm so glad to meet you! Ever since Bella told us you were coming, we had been looking forward to finally seeing you! I can tell we are going to be _great_ friends," she said enthusiastically, almost bouncing from her excitement. The blonde boy next to her placed a hand on her thigh which seemed to bring her back to reality. "This is Jasper. He is Rosalie's brother," she said, glancing at the modelesque girl across the table. "And that's Emmett." A large, burly teenager sat next to Rosalie. Although his eyes were the same shade of honey as his siblings, they seemed to be filled with more warmth.

A few quiet moments passed as they picked around at their food. Delaney noticed Rosalie was carrying a very expensive, designer handbag. Trying to be polite and break the increasingly awkward silence, she gestured at her purse. "Rosalie, I really like your bag. It's gorgeous,"

The blonde locked eyes with Laney and her gaze was cold as ice, almost as if she just realized she was there. Blinking, she could have sworn Rosalie passed a fleeting glance to Edward, but it was so fast she thought she was imagining things. "At least one Swan has decent fashion sense and can appreciate fine craftsmanship."

"Well, she's not wrong about that," Bella smiled sheepishly, tugging on the sleeves of her sweatshirt.

"I know I'm not wrong," Rosalie snapped rudely, looking Bella up and down.

"Play nice, Rose," Edward said, a dangerous tone in his voice. Rosalie rolled her eyes and leaned into Emmett, as if she was suddenly bored with their conversation.

Emmett wrapped a (very large) arm around her small frame. "So, new girl, what do you like to do for fun? You play any sports?"

"Well," Delaney started, feeling uncomfortable. She could feel the gaze of the Cullens on her and felt extremely nervous in their presence although she couldn't place why. "I'm pretty boring. I like to read, I guess. Oh, and I rowed on our crew team at my old school."

"That's right! I remember Charlie telling me about that. He said you were pretty good, too. There, Emmett. You have a more competitive Swan to play baseball with now."

"Nice! Looks like you're off the hook for all future family baseball games, Bella," Emmett said, a large grin playing on his features. Rosalie once again rolled her eyes.

"Well, this is riveting, isn't it?" she said, standing up from the table. "Come, Emmett. Let's get ready for class," Rosalie demanded. Emmett shrugged and followed Rosalie.

"See you later, Delaney!" Emmett loud voice boomed through the cafeteria. Delaney watched as the pair walked through the cafeteria, hand in hand. Rosalie was truly the most beautiful girl she had ever seen, and even thought she was obviously head over heels in love with Emmett, that didn't stop almost every boy in the cafeteria to sneakily catch a glimpse of her as she walked past.

"So, what are you doing here?" Alice said cheerily, bringing Laney's attention back to the table.

"Umm," she started, taken aback by the question. _Who asks that?_

"Easy, Alice. Let the girl breath," Edward said, smirking, as if sharing an inside joke between sibling. Delaney shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

The bell rang shrilly through the cafeteria and Delaney was relieved. "I'll see you guys later," she said, rushing out of the cafeteria. She felt like an outsider; the Cullen's, save for Emmett, were either terse or detached and she could sense that her presence wasn't welcomed. Walking quickly down the hallway, she reached her next class, praying that the day would end quickly.

Throughout her last few classes, Delaney's mind freely wandered. Glancing at her watch, the time read 1:32. _I would have been in choir right now_ , she thought bitterly, her thoughts jumping towards her old school. _We would have been preparing for the spring concert and Mrs. Saunders would have been berating us for being out of uniform._ Soon enough, the final bell rang through the classroom, signaling the end of the day. She happily sighed in relief.

Pushing the school doors open, she walked out into the sunlit parking lot. Her eyes squinted, as she was surprised it was actually sunny outside. Delaney saw Bella, already at her truck, leaning up against against it reading a book. Bella glanced up, and gave her cousin a small wave. Weaving in and out of the cars in the parking lot, Delaney reached her cousin. "Are you sure you can drive with that thing?" She asked, gesturing to the cast on Bella's foot.

"Barely. Luckily you only need one good foot to drive," she said jokingly as she pulled out her keys. "How was the rest of your day?" Bella asked, opening the truck door and tossing her backpack on the empty seat. She slid in the truck and turned the key, causing the engine to roar to life. Delaney followed suit, and sighed.

"Another normal day in high school, I guess. People here are nice enough," she said with a shrug. "I miss Cincinnati, though. I miss my friends."

Bella bit her lip and glanced at Delaney. "I know this is hard for you. But I'm here for you… and so is Edward. I didn't tell him everything, but he can tell that you have a lot going on."

"Speaking of Edward," Delaney said, seizing her moment and changing the subject. She didn't want to think about her old home; it was far too painful. She didn't want to admit to herself that this was her new life… not yet. "We didn't get a chance to talk after lunch. You have to give me the rundown on his family."

"Well, what did you think of them?" Bella asked, the truck clanging noisily while they drove down the road. Delaney couldn't help but be relieved that her cousin drove at a normal speed, still reeling from the car ride this morning.

"Well, Emmett seems like the fun one. I like him a lot, actually. Alice seems…. Spunky?" Delaney said, naming the Cullen's on her fingers. "Jasper seems like the 'suffer in silence' type. I don't think he said one word to me, actually. And Rosalie is just sort of scary."

Bella laughed. "Honestly, that's just about right. They liked you though, which is good."

Delaney turned to stare at her cousin. "You're joking right? It felt like they would have killed to get me away from them."

"I know they can be a little…" Bella paused, trying to find the right words. "Different. But they _do_ like you. Edward said so himself, and he's very good at reading his siblings." She said, turning on her blinker to drive down their street. "You want to come over for a little bit?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "You can help me catch up on this bio homework."

"And by catch up you mean…" she said, grinning. She pulled her truck into her driveway, parking next to her dad's police cruiser.

"I mean _you_ finish my biology homework because you love your favorite cousin."

"That's what I thought you said," Bella grinned, getting out of the truck. Delaney grabbed her backpack and they walked into Bella's home.

"I thought I heard that piece of junk down the road," Charlie said, turning down the TV as the two girls walked in. "How was your first day, little bear?"

"Standard day, Uncle Charlie. Arrest anyone today?" She said, tossing her backpack on the kitchen table, and sitting down next to Bella to do her homework.

"Fortunately, or unfortunately, no. Depends on how you look at it," Charlie said gruffly. "You girls want pizza for dinner?"

"Sure, Dad," Bella said, and Delaney nodded in agreement.

"Thanks Uncle Charlie," Delaney smiled, pulling her books out of her backpack. "I'll make sure that dad gives you money for dinner."

"No need, Little Bear. Your favorite uncle can spring for pizza every once and awhile. I'm just glad you're here."

"Me too, Uncle Charlie."


End file.
